Cream cheese danish

 Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (soft)
• 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 large egg - The whole egg 
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice, optional
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional or vanilla flavoring 
• 1 sheet (about 8 ounces) puff pastry, thawed but cool

For the Egg Wash

• 1 large egg, whisked

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400℉.
   
2. Mix soft cream cheese and sugar until smooth in a medium bowl. Stop the mixer. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
   
3. Unfold thawed puff pastry sheet. Cut into 6 equal pieces. Place rectangles on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
   
4. Spoon cream cheese filling onto the center of the puff pastry. I put my cream cheese inside a sandwich bag and cut a tiny hole in one of the corners and used it like a piping bag 😳.Brush the edges of the puff pastry with the whisked egg. (This helps the edges to brown.)
   
5. Bake until the filling is set and the pastry is brown, about 15 minutes.
6. Store leftovers wrapped in the refrigerator for up to three days. Warm in a toaster oven or air fryer.
   

Salisbury steak meatballs

 

Ingredients

• 32 oz. bag frozen fully cooked meatballs
• 1 packet brown gravy mix
• 1 packet onion soup mix
• 1 packet of dry Ranch seasoning mix 
• 2 cups beef broth 
• 1 sliced onion 
• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil of any kind.

Instructions

• Place sliced onions in a pan with the oil and saute for five minutes.
• Place frozen meatballs in a large pan that has a lid. The same pan
  
• Add brown gravy, onion soup mix, ranch and broth  to the pan and stir until well combined and powder has dissolved.
  
• Make sure the meatballs are submerged in the liquid. Cover the pan and set stovetop to medium heat. Heat meatballs for 15 to 20 minutes making sure to stir frequently.
  
• Once meatballs are starting you can now prepare your side, I love to make mashed potatoes, I make the boxed potatoes and add milk and butter.
• Serve over mashed potatoes or rice.
• When I get home from work who has time to make real mashed potatoes 😳

Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

 

Ingredients

Lemon-Herb Chicken

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced into cutlets
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp. lemon zest
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp.  paprika
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 3/4 tsp. Seasoned salt
• 3/4 tsp. black pepper

Creamy Lemon Pasta

• 1 lb. pasta of choice (I chose Bow tie but you can use something long and twirly, such as bucatini, spaghetti, pappardelle, or fettuccine)
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onion
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 tsp.  salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (plus more for garnish)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (plus more for garnish
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest plus 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Optional add-ins- optional 

• Fresh baby spinach or arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted broccoli, sautéed mushrooms

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
  
• Meanwhile, prepare chicken. Place chicken in a bowl and combine with olive oil, lemon zest, and spices. Toss well to thoroughly coat both sides of chicken in seasoning.
  
  Heat a large high-sided skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Arrange chicken in pan and cook until nicely golden and internal temperature reaches 165ºF, about 7 to 10 minutes, per side depending on thickness. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. What I like to do with my chicken breast is cut them in half and pound them into thin pieces and they cook quickly in 10 minutes. Five minutes per side.
  
• If your water is boiling at this point, begin cooking pasta until just shyof al dente (the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce). Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
  
  Prepare sauce. Add butter to the pan (no need to wipe clean) along with chopped yellow onion. Cook over medium heat until the onion softens, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until aromatic.
  
  Add heavy cream, broth, salt, and black pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until the mixture slightly thickens, about 5 to 6 minutes.
  
  Stir in parsley, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and juice.
  
• Add pasta to the pan with sauce, along with 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water. Increase the heat to medium-high, and toss vigorously with a pair of tongs. Continue cooking and tossing constantly, until the pasta is glossed in a thick sauce, about 2 minutes.
  
  If the sauce becomes too tight, add another splash of the reserved pasta water and toss again. When the sauce is nicely thickened and glossy, turn off heat.
  
• Thinly slice chicken and place on top of the pasta. Garnish with extra chopped fresh parsley, grated Parmesan, cracked black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
  

Notes

• If you plan on adding any veggies, add them to the sauce right after stirring in the parsley, Parmesan, and lemon. 
• To Store. Place leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Stuffed peppers w/Rice

 

Ingredients

• 4 sweet bell peppers, any color
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 lb. ground beef
• ½ cup finely diced onion
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese, divided
• Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or basil

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise, discarding seeds and membranes. Place peppers, cut side up, in a microwave-safe 13x9-inch baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the dish. Lightly cover with parchment paper. Microwave until peppers begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Drain any excess liquid.*
  
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion; cook until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off fat. Stir in cooked rice, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Add ½ cup of cheddar and ½ cup of Monterey Jack or mozzarella. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
  
• Season the inside of each pepper with salt and pepper. Stuff peppers with beef mixture and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cover with foil.
• Bake until tender and heated through, about 35 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of cheddar and remaining ½ cup of Monterey Jack or mozzarella.
  
• Bake, uncovered, until cheese melts, about 10 more minutes. Serve warm. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil.
  

Notes

*Alternatively, you can pre-bake the peppers in the oven instead of in the microwave. To do so, fill a baking dish large enough to fit peppers with about ½ -inch of water. Place peppers cut-side down in water, cover with foil, and bake for about 20 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/2 of a stuffed pepper | Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 484mg | Potassium: 508mg | Fiber: 2g| Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2349IU | Vitamin C: 81mg | Calcium: 235mg | Iron: 2mg

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

2 cucumbers, sliced

1/4 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or your favorite)

I like triple cheddar 

2 tbsp bacon bits

A pinch of black pepper

A sprinkle of Old Bay seasoning

A dash of Salad Supreme seasoning

2 tbsp avocado lime ranch dressing

Firecrackers

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1  lb  unsalted saltine crackers (4 sleeves)
• 1  cup canola oil
• 1 (1 ounce) packet  ranch dressing mix
• 2  tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder

DIRECTIONS

1. Line crackers on ends (like dominoes) in an air-tight container.
2. In a small bowl, mix oil, dressing mix, peppers, and garlic powder.
3. Stir until all ingredients are well mixed.
4. Continue to stir to prevent the pepper from settling on the bottom of the bowl.
5. Spoon mixture evenly over crackers, like drizzling icing on a cake.
6. Close lid tightly and flip the container over every 5 minutes for about 20 minutes. Lightly shake back and forth to make sure all the crackers are coated.
7. Store in a ziplock bag. Will keep for about a week -- if they last that long!

Marry me chicken

 

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts(see Notes)
• salt (to taste)
• freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or other neutral oil)

For the Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

• 2-3 cloves garlic (minced)
• ¾ cup chicken broth 
• ½ cup heavy cream (at or close to room temperature)
• ⅓ cup grated fresh parmesan cheese (at room temperature)
• ½-1 cup sun-dried tomatoes 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
• fresh basil (chiffonaded, for garnish)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Adjust racks as needed so skillet can sit in center of oven. Place chicken breasts on cutting board and trim as needed, then pat chicken breasts dry on all sides with paper towels. 
• Generously season tops of chicken breasts with salt and black pepper. Flip chicken breasts over and generously season other side with salt and black pepper. Set chicken aside.
• Heat cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is warm, add olive oil and swirl pan to cover entire surface with oil. 
• When oil is hot and shimmery, place seasoned chicken breasts in skillet. Sear chicken breasts 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly golden in spots. Flip chicken breasts over and sear 3 to 4 minutes more. Carefully transfer seared chicken breasts to plate and set aside. Note: chicken should not be fully cooked-through at this point.
• Return skillet to stovetop and reduce heat to medium-low. Let temperature of skillet reduce, then add minced garlic. Sauté garlic 1 to 2 minutes, or until garlic is just fragrant.
• Add broth to skillet and stir, making sure to scrape up any browned bits of chicken or garlic that may be stuck to bottom of skillet. 
• Move skillet to cool stovetop burner and let skillet cool slightly, then add heavy cream. Whisk or stir gently to incorporate heavy cream into chicken broth. Once liquids are blended, sprinkle grated parmesan into mixture and gently stir until cheese has melted.
• Return skillet to hot burner and continue stirring sauce mixture 1 minute or so, while skillet returns to temperature. Add sun-dried tomatoes, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes to cream sauce and stir gently to incorporate ingredients. Taste sauce and adjust salt, pepper, oregano, and/or red pepper flakes as desired.
• Bring sauce to constant slow simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Once sauce is simmering, return seared chicken breasts to skillet. Flip chicken breasts 3 to 4 times to coat all sides in sauce, then transfer entire skillet into preheated oven.
• Bake dish 12 to 15 minutes, then begin checking doneness of chicken with internal meat thermometer. Continue cooking chicken until meat thermometer reads 160°-162° Fahrenheit when inserted into thickest part of chicken.
• Carefully remove skillet from oven and set aside. Spoon sauce from skillet over tops of chicken, then allow chicken to rest 5 minutes. Chicken will cook residually, reaching food-safe internal temperature of 165°F. 
• After 5 minutes, transfer chicken to serving plates. Top chicken with remaining sauce from skillet and garnish with chiffonaded basil. Serve immediately with desired sides.